7:00pm MST: I’d rather be watching “2012″ with my son, but I have a meeting with my client tomorrow afternoon and must deliver a working mockup.

So I thought I’d help myself focus and give you some play-by-play tips as the night unfolds. The goal? Not to be up until 4am! (Since I have 2 other meetings prior to this client’s.)

The client: Ami Diallo is a wonderful gourd and leather artist. I was hired to create more traffic for her through marketing SEO and a new design so she can sell both one-of-a-kind pieces and craft items. Why the time crunch? The contract for services ends March 31, in 7 days.

What’s been done: Ami and I have met several times so I know her and her work. We hired Clare Zurawski from WESST to do a keyword analysis. I created an initial design idea before the analysis in Photoshop which I may or may not use. I also have the beginnings of the site map in Excel based on the keyword data.

Review of initial site: The site has wonderful photos, a distinctive logo and is “clean.” But it is not structured as well as it could be: photos are different sizes on different pages, expensive art pieces share the same page with craft items and the navigation is on the bottom of long tables of pics and text.

Action Plan: Can I just add the keyword-rich copy to the tags, content and page titles? Spruce up the design by adding color/texture? Move the nav to the top? After looking at the code, I decide, no. It will have to be a full redesign of the structure. CSS for text-styling and main divs; tables for storing the photos and copy. Plus adding Buy Now PayPal buttons to each piece.

But for tonight, I just need the navigation plan and the main template pages to show. I’ll report back when I have the full navigation done. Wish me luck!

Use correct grammar, case and spelling in your page titles. If your keywords can be used, give them the opportunity. On the portfolio site of Whitespace Creative, each page is named for a different set of keywords, e.g. Art Direction, Web Design, Content Development, etc.

Watch out for length in page titles: IE accepts 95 characters, Google only accepts 66 characters before it crops. How’s this for a page title: “I Make Money Online By Telling People How I Make Money Online – John Chow dot Com.” (That’s 84 characters, including spaces.)

Use intelligent and descriptive title tags. How boring is “About Us”? Rather, try “Meet the Design Team”, or “Say Hello to the Worm Guy,” if “worm” or “design team” are your keywords. Don’t repeat words: Location Information and Statistical Information can both do without “Information.”

Put your keywords at or near the front of the page title. Make sure your keywords are indicative of what’s on your page, but don’t overdo it; you’re not a late night infomercial.

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More Reading:

SEO Logic

Inbound links are some of the most valuable assets your SEO strategy can include. Clare Zurawski, Internet Marketing Consultant at WESST, has spent over 3 years helping small businesses increase their sales through SEO.

“Inbound links are most valuable when they come from well-respected entities within your industry,” says Zurawski. “Five or ten quality links are worth far more than dozens of links that have no relevance to your business.”

What are those “quality links?” Some, according to Zurawski, are URLs with the following extensions: .edu, .gov, .org. According to the “Google Webmaster Blog“, quality links are one factor in a proprietary stew that contributes to page rank. But many agree that if you have a well-structured and regularly maintained site with original, high-quality content, users and search engines alike will enjoy you.

Here are some ideas to get you started on your quality link building:
• (From Clare) Write a review of a book in your industry on www.amazon.com. Include your website at the end of the review.
• Join your local Chamber of Commerce. In Santa Fe, go here: and have your business listed in their online directory.
• Join your alumni organization’s website, it may have a .edu.
• Volunteer to write articles or reviews for a non-profit and have them include a link back to you. It’s a good way to help out and get help in return.

It’s all part of the SEO game plan, which starts with making your website your hub. Inbound quality links are like spokes coming in to the wheel. Clare adds, “If you offer free content that is valued by your web audience, you will attract links and establish yourself as an expert in your field.”

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After Link Building, you’ll need to get in-depth info on social marketing. Attend WESST’s “SEO 101, Session 2: An overview of why social media matters and how it complements SEO”, Tuesday October 27th, 5:30-7:30 pm at the WESST Enterprise Center in Albuquerque. You can register and pay online at www.wesst.org.

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“Target and Control your Website’s Destiny.” WESST (Women’s Economic Self Sufficiency Team) will be offering in-depth SEO Training with Clare Zurawski on Monday, November 2, 2009 at the Santa Fe Business Incubator starting at 5:30 pm. The class is reasonably priced, but register early! Call 505-474-6556, or visit www.wesst.org.